Annual October trip Day 3 & 4: DCA, Disneyland, and Trader Sams

We slept in an extra hour this morning and got into the park around 9am. Emmalyn was still tired. 

Some of the others took the kiddos to Turtle Talk while Viet, Tomi, and I headed back to Pym's to get more drinks. Along the we had to grab a breakfast She-Warm-Up.

Got myself another R&D Martini.

Maple Bacon Bread Pudding from Cappuccino Cart was disappointing. 

Matcha Green Tea Cold Brew with Strawberry Cold Foam from Cappuccino Cart. Tammy loved this. 

Karaage-inspired Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Slaw and Togarashi Mayonnaise on a Potato Bun served with Garlic Chips. My brother really liked this sandwich. Beef Bulgogi Burrito with Garlic Tapioca chips.I had the burrito last year and loved it. This year I decided to try the Birria Ramen.

 

Beef Birria Ramen:with Consomé, served with House-made Birria, Soft-boiled Egg, Monterey Jack, Cilantro, Roasted Corn, Onions and Radish. I really enjoyed this dish and it came together very well.

Pork Wonton Nachos which my brother said was pretty good. 

Jayceon showing Emmalyn his Stitch Rocket Ship misting toy. 

Took the kids on Little Mermaid and Emmalyn managed to stay awake this time. 

We headed over to Disneyland cause we had reservations at River Belle Terrace which just recently started serving alcohol. The menu is very limited with two beers, two wines, and one cocktail which was a Wildberry Mule.

After dinner, we headed over to Finding Nemo because the line was short and eventually called it a day. We headed back to the house to wind down and to get ready for our depature tomorrow. 

The next morning we wanted to do some shopping in downtown Disney so headed to Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar for lunch. If you park at the Disneyland Hotel you can get 3 hours free with parking validation as long as you dine at the restaurant at the hotel. 

Safari Swizzle: Hamilton 151 Rum, fresh Lime Juice, Mint, and Agave Nectar topped with Angostura Bitters

Angolada: Smith and Cross Navy Strength Rum, Cream of Coconut, Angostura Bitters, and Juices of Lime and Pineapple

Marinated Short Rib Hawaiian Platter: Marinated Short Rib, served with Furikake-seasoned Jasmine Rice, Macaroni Salad and Tangy Slaw

Pu Pu Platter: Pork Gyoza, Panko-crusted Long Beans, Macaroni Salad, and Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Wings served with Togarashi Aïoli

After we walked over to downtown Disney and did a bit of shopping. Here's a video of Emmalyn showing me everything she wants to buy. 

That ends this trip. It was another great trip with all the friends. Been doing this trip for over 15 years and it's great to see how our style of travel has evolved throughout the years. Espeically this year since almost everyone was travel with their kids. 

So where to next? We are going to take Emmalyn to Hawaii. This trip was to test the water on how well she would handle the flight and she did great. So hopefully she does just as well on a 5+ hour flight. Stay tuned. 

Annual October trip 2023 Day 2: Disneyland and California Adventure.

We got into the park about 30 minutes after it opened which is a win in my book. Traveling with kids is hard. 

Peter and I headed to the cart at Frontierland to grab some breakfast chimichangas. The line was a lot longer this year.

It was as good as I remembered. I recommend getting the salsa verde, you won't regret it.

Pumpkin Cheesecake cold brew. Pumpkin cold brew with cheesecake cream. This was okay I prefer the pumpkin cold brew they had last year. 

Last year Tammy announced her pregnancy at Disneyland and this year we got to take our daughter for her first visit.

After our quick breakfast snack we headed to It's a Small World which only had a 15-minute wait.

This is what Emmalyn thought of It's a Small World. 

Then we headed over to the newly reimagined ToonTown. 

They introduced a new ride to Toontown, Mickey's Runaway Railway. It was a 70-minute standby time.

It's an amazing ride, all of these new rides with new technology are really something. 

We walked thru Batuu since Phat hasn't seen it yet and grab a parent swap for Rise of the Resistance. 

We stopped by Hungry Bear for lunch and then headed off to DCA so we could begin our drinking. 

Honey Spiced Chicken Sandwich. If you like the McChicken then this is right up your alley. 

BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. This was pretty good, but not as good as a double western.

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Chai-Spiced Pumpkin Ice Tea: iced tea, Chai tea flavored syrup, pumpkin puree cream, and pumpkin candy crystal.

Got to get that Churro!

R&D Martini- espresso martini with cereal-infused milk, topped with chocolate espresso beans and cereal crumble. This is delicious. You can taste the alcohol in this one unlike many of the other drinks offered at DCA.

Seasonal cold brew from Pym Test Kitchen. Butterscotch Cold Brew, Marshmellow Milk, and chocolate foam, topped with toasted marshmallow and streusel crumbs. 

Took the kids for a spin on Midway Mania. 

Then it was time for dinner at Cartha Circle Restaurant. I think this was a lamb sausage or veal sausage pasta. It was pretty good, but save yourself the trouble and get the signature pork chop it's amazing!

Grilled Prime 16-oz Ribeye: Blue Cheese Polenta, Charred Onion Puree, Red Grape Chimichurri

Signature Thick Cut Pork Chop: Garnet Yam, Kale, Roasted Heirloom Apples, Cider Vinaigrette

After dinner we made our way back to Disneyland. 

Mickey's Runaway Railway had broken down earlier during our parent swap so we used the passes to get Peter, Raveena, and Phat on the Haunted Mansion. It was a 2 hr wait so we didn't want to do standby. 

Around 11:30 we called it a day and started to head out.

It's been a very long day, especially since we were at Knott's Scary Farm the night before. There was some much needed rest so we can do this all again tomorrow.